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Ron Barber Wins Giffords's Congressional Seat

The Associated Press (AP) has finally called the congressional race in Arizona's second district, declaring Ron Barber the winner in his contest against Martha McSally.

Barber (D-AZ) will continue to represent the Tucson area. He was elected to that seat in a special election earlier this year to replace his former boss and friend, Gabrielle Giffords. Giffords resigned her seat in Congress in January 2012, a year after being shot in the head in an assassination attempt. Barber, then her district director, was at her side and also wounded in the attack that killed six people attending a "Congress on Your Corner" event at a local grocery store in Tucson.

Giffords is married to former astronaut Mark Kelly and chaired the space and aeronautics subcommittee of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee in the 111th Congress (2009-2010).

Vote counting has taken a particularly long time in the second district and it was a very close race. The AP concluded that even with some votes not yet counted even now, that McSally could not overcome Barber's slim lead. McSally conceded the race this morning.